From examining colonial legacy of Glasgow to ferry troubles in Islay, plus a special local environment focus
All the latest news from Scotland communities
Last week, The Clydesider magazine held a Zoom workshop for the Scottish Beacon partners on recruiting and working with volunteers. This was a great opportunity for sharing ideas on what is expected of volunteers and then flipped the discussion to allow newsrooms to reflect on ways by which volunteers may face barriers at their organisations.
For the past six weeks, I have been volunteering at the Scottish Beacon as part of a work-based learning class I am doing for my university degree. During this time, I have been able to write and research articles, learn more about community newsrooms and sit in on meetings. I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience and have learnt a lot of valuable information about community newsrooms and the ways by which they work.
I must confess, as a student with very little previous experience writing stories and no experience in a newsroom, coming to the Scottish Beacon was very daunting. I found the volunteering workshop useful as a tool to understand what attributes newsrooms are looking for in volunteers at their publications. It highlighted to me that the most important thing you can be as a volunteer is enthusiastic with a willingness to learn.
The meeting also demonstrated how these independent, community-based newsrooms are working hard to continue to provide local news.
~ Anna MacQueen, journalism student
Latest from our partners
Greater Govanhill: New exhibition unveils Glasgow’s colonial legacy
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum is home to a new permanent exhibition - City of Empire. An empowering display that unpacks Glasgow’s colonial history.
The Clydesider: How one author set out to change perceptions of asthma through stories
West Dunbartonshire author, Paul Murdoch, talks to Mary Irvine about how being asthmatic inspired his latest book.
Ileach: Ferry delays causes issues for Islay businesses and residents
Long delays on the arrival of new ferries and persistent issues with routes means that island businesses and industries are suffering the consequences.
We particularly loved to see this collaboration between The Edinburgh Reporter and the Shetland News:
Shetland News: Sculptor offers to pay for Jawbones to go to Shetland
A sculptor with family links to a whalebone arch which was gifted from Shetland to Edinburgh in the late 1800s has offered to pay towards the cost of bringing the bones back north – if the city’s council gets rid of them.
Local Environment Stories
The Orkney News: Climate Change in Orkney: Power of – and from – the Sea
How the UNESCO heritage site of Skara Brae is under threat of climate change, while Orkney leads the way with renewable energy.
The Lochside Press: Shocking increase in plastic litter on beaches revealed
The amount of plastic litter found on beaches in Argyll and Bute has almost trebled in 30 years, a new report has revealed.
Clydesider: Trash to Treasure Eco-Warriors
Clydesider teamed up with Unity, a charity and social enterprise based in West Dunbartonshire, to share their story of turning trash to treasure.
Broughton Spurtle: Scottish Water Promises Sewage Without Bits
Spurtle investigates Scottish Water's plan to upgrade combined sewage outfalls in Leith.
Greater Govanhill: ‘More than a shop’: taking a sustainable approach to childrenswear
How one shop in Glasgow Southside is helping to tackle clothing waste through preloved childrenswear.
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